In recent times, thereaputic leg and foot braces of this type typically have an L-shaped construction with a contoured leg support portion, a foot portion and an interconnected heel portion therebetween. Currently the interconnecting heel portion is a one-piece resilient metal alloy member adjustably secured between the leg and foot portion as taught by DeToro, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,479. The interconnecting heel portion has also been molded to the leg portion and foot portion in a one-piece construction as taught by Lonardo in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,269,748 and 3,976,054.
Other foot and leg brace configurations are directed to pivoting joints between the leg support and foot portions that allow for horizonal and vertical flexible movement while holding the patient's foot and leg laterally fixed, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,934,355, 4,962,760 and 4,771,768. Artificial joints for simulating motion of a slide-in-hinge joint of the body in a forward and backward motion while remaining laterally fixed are shown in knee and ankle joint U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,779,654, 3,902,482, 4,337,764 and 3,528,412. An orthotic foot brace having lateral displacement of a foot portion to a leg portion is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,407.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved means for incremental adjustment of the lateral angle between the foot and leg portion in an orthotic brace having a resilient interconnected heel enclosed portion.